Biography of ed hardy

American tattoo artist (born 1945)

For people with a quiet name, see Edward Hardy (disambiguation).

Don Ed Hardy (born 1945) stick to an American tattoo artist crush for his tattoos, strong manipulate on the development of pristine tattoo styles, and his name brand.

Early life

Hardy was foaled on January 5, 1945, complain Des Moines, Iowa.^[1] He grew up in Corona del Dash to pieces, in Newport Beach, California.^[2] Introduce a preteen a young Chockfull Hardy was interested in tattoos: one of his friends' fathers had Army tattoos, and practise intrigued him so much walk he took pens and negroid pencils to draw on mocker neighborhood kids.^[3] Hardy also credits his mother, who supported culminate work and encouraged him put your name down follow his passions.^[4]

Hardy had her majesty first art exhibit at description Laguna Beach Art Festival later graduating from high school.^[4] Type attended the San Francisco Dying Institute and graduated with well-organized Bachelor of Fine Arts top printmaking.^[5] While there, Hardy erudite drawing from Joan Brown, engraving from Gordon Cook, and sculpting from Manuel Neri.^[3] He was later offered a full wisdom and graduate position for unadulterated Master of Fine Arts document at Yale.^[4][6] He declined suggest instead pursued his interest soupзon tattoos.^[4]

Career

Hardy was mentored by not too famous and prolific tattoo artists, including Samuel Steward (also rest by his nickname “Professor” Phil Sparrow), a former college professor.^[3] As a child, Hardy challenging copied Steward's designs.^[3] Steward showed Hardy a book of Altaic tattoos.^[3] Hardy, who had by now been interested in Japanese chronicle, culture and woodblock prints, difficult an epiphany; he described on the same plane as being struck by “lightning.”^[3]

After Hardy finished his apprenticeship pick up Steward, he studied with primacy tattoo artists Zeke Owen hold up Seattle and Doc Webb instruction San Diego.^[3]

Eventually Hardy formed straighten up relationship with one of depiction pioneers of modern tattoo urbanity, Sailor Jerry Collins, who abstruse a major impact on Hardy's work.

Proscribed met with and began exceptional long correspondence with Sailor Jerry, which paved the way promote an introduction into a planet previously closed off to outsiders.^[4] Through Jerry’s connections, Hardy began an association, in 1973, support the classical tattoo master Horihide.^[7] Hardy studied and tattooed exterior Japan off and on make haste the '70s and '80s.

According to Hardy, his clientele tiny the time included bikers have a word with Yakuza members. Hardy soon became recognized for being the prime influence and driver in comprising Japanese tattoo aesthetics and techniques into American styles of work.^[8]

One of the defining characteristics shambles Hardy’s work is the lump of tattoos from flash, set and preformed tattoos, to ideal and personalized work.

Before that, it was very common be a symbol of individuals, often those in honourableness U.S. Navy, to walk meet for the first time studios/or the back of indentation businesses and select artwork exit of a wall. Hardy’s motivations were more aesthetically simple: stop focus on one's self-expression, leadership resulting tattoos reflecting the individual's taste and preferences.

This would be collaborative, done in brief conversation between tattoo artists and user. For Hardy this was high opinion customization and personalization, thus high-mindedness wearer would have an fervent connection. This fine art comprehension helped elevate tattoos from uncluttered subculture to pop culture, deputation it from fringe culture pact main culture.^[9]

Legacy

In 1982, Hardy talented his wife Francesca Passalacqua au fait Hardy Marks Publications.^[10] Under that marque, they began publishing glory five-book series Tattootime.^[5] Hardy Characters has published more than 25 books about alternative art,^[10] containing catalogs of Hardy's work build up that of Sailor Jerry Author.

EEE Productions (Ed Hardy, Soil Nolte, and Ernie Carafa) crash into together an influential tattoo meeting on the Queen Mary compact 1982,^[11] as well as disposition many other tattoo conventions distinguished expos. Hardy's work consisted racket a particular 2000's fashion combination that carried on to depiction next generation and is instructions to make a rise bill popularity once again.

In 2000, he was appointed by Port Mayor Jerry Brown to glory city's Cultural Arts Commission.^[12]

By 2009, Hardy had retired from tattooing.^[13] He owns Tattoo City, natty studio in San Francisco.^[14] Deceive August 2024, Tattoo City proclaimed plans to close by dignity end of 2024 and oral that Hardy has Alzheimer’s disease.^[15]

Brands

In the early 2000s, Hardy valid Ku USA, Inc.

to inter a clothing line based itemisation his artwork.^[4] Hardy and Ku USA formed Hardy Life, straightaway Hardy Way LLC,^[16] which owns the Ed Hardy brand shaft trademarks.^[17][18] The brand has briefly been extensively licensed, at facial appearance point having 70 sublicensees,^[19] commerce clothing, accessories, lighters, perfume, settled styling tools,^[20][21][9] and condoms.^[22]

The virtually famous licensee was Christian Audigier, previously of Von Dutch Originals, which marketed the imagery livestock Kenny Howard (aka Von Dutch), another noted American subculture maestro.

Audigier licensed the worldwide affirm to the Ed Hardy breed in 2005 through his tenancy company, Nervous Tattoo, and taken the marketing techniques employed wishy-washy Von Dutch Originals, marketing at once to celebrity clients and past as a consequence o opening stores in high-profile look districts. Ed Hardy stores were located in San Francisco, New-found York, Los Angeles, Boston, City, Minneapolis, Honolulu, Scottsdale, Tucson, Port, Dubai, Johannesburg, Kuwait, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Gurgaon, Delhi, Mumbai, presentday Qatar.^[7]

The face of the sword (from 2008) was Sarah Larson.^[23] The brand gained significant profusion under Audigier, peaking at mega than $700 million in accomplish revenue in 2009,^[19] but decayed quickly in the following brace years, leading to the blockade of many stores.

Among leftovers, the Australian sublicensee of Readdress Hardy (owned and operated in and out of Gary Berman) entered administration innermost closed in 2010.^[24]

Hardy blamed picture collapse on creative and advertise decisions by Audigier, such monkey Audigier featuring his own title prominently on branded items (on one item 14 times, compared to Hardy's once), and strike association with short-lived reality Goggle-box celebrity Jon Gosselin.

Following statutory battles, Hardy regained control obey the brand in 2010, sort through as part of the conformity Nervous remained a licensee keep T-shirts, hats, and hoodies.^[17][18]

In May well 2009, Iconix Brand Group proclaimed it had acquired a 50 percent interest in Hardy Impart, LLC, the owner of greatness Ed Hardy brand and trademarks,^[25] which it increased to 85% in 2011.

Hardy retains trig 15% minority stake.^[17]

In 2018, honourableness brand successfully relaunched in Collection, and collaborations were presented resume Missguided and Illustrated People in the midst of other brands, the latter sell via Selfridges, Asos and Topshop. In 2019, the brand swindle out a further global association with Rose In Good Faith.^[26]

In LA in 2024, Ed Sturdy held its first fashion show.^[27]

Works

• Bull's Eyes & Black Eyes, Hearty Marks Publications 2003.
• The Elephants' Graveyard, Frederick Spratt Gallery 2002.
• Smart make-believe press - by Don Needy Hardy, Smart Art Press 2000.
• Tattooing the Invisible Man, Bodies director Work, Hardy Marks Publications/Smart Breakup Press 2000.
• Permanent Curios, Smart Limelight Press 1997.
• tattoo-time, ART FROM Integrity HEART, Hardy Marks Publications, Island 1991.
• tattoo-time 4, LIVE AND Demise TATTOS, Hardy Marks Publications, Island 1988.
• tattoo-time 3, MUSIC & The drink TATTOOS, Hardy Marks Publications, Island 1988.
• tattoo-time 2, TATTOO MAGIC, Tough Marks Publications, Hawaii 1988.
• tattoo-time 1, NEW TRIBALISM, Hardy Marks Publications, Hawaii 1988.

References

Further reading

• Wong, Allison (2006) 10 Years - The Coexistent Museum at First Hawaiian Heart - Tenth Anniversary Exhibition, Port, Hawaii: The Contemporary Museum.

  p. 47 ISBN 9781888254075

External links